11–14 of 14 posts
Would need to:
* be set from now to 2200 or so
* have accurate physics and orbital mechanics
* use the actual planets and asteroids, in their correct orbits
* be based on current and reasonably foreseeable technology
* be solar system only — no interstellar travel, no portals or wormholes
* have no aliens or alien technology
Very few people want realism in fantasy, because it is too limited. You play game, because you want to experience something you can't see, do or imagine your-self in. Real life is boring :)
But as for the choice of time period, I find the close future much more appealing than the far future. It is easier to immerse into, and I expect that, in the years to come, the players could actually related there experience in the game to the events unfolding in real life.
Also, the period of the first pioneers is probably more exciting than the period where you manage complex cities. If you play Civilization, the first turns have a special flavour that you do not get anymore later in the game.